A Study In Unfeasibility

May 22

doctorwho: Obsession can be good zanderpants: From Cracked.com’s 5 Celebrities Who Got Famous for by Being Obsessed Fan Boys #2. The Geek Who Would Be Doctor Who Started Out As: A young, obsessed Doctor Who fan whose schoolteachers had to tell him to shut up about it. But Became: The Doctor. Recently, Doctor Who won a victory over Star Trek by becoming the longest-running science fiction series ever. Twice as many actors have played the Doctor over its entire run as have played James Bond. All the way back in the ’70s, the role belonged to Tom Baker (the fourth Doctor), and his biggest fan in the universe was a geeky kid named David McDonald. And McDonald was a megafan to an extent that few men could begin to realize. As a child in school, it was all he ever wrote about, to the point where his teacher had to tell him to stop before she had to fail him. His most treasured possession was the stripy Doctor Who scarf his grandmother knitted him. But he was a talented kid, even if he channeled all that talent into incessantly ranting about Doctor Who (a teacher still has one of his essays about the Doctor, titled “Intergalactic Overload,” in which McDonald talked about becoming obsessed with the thought of being the Time Lord himself). And where most kids eventually drop their fantasy of growing up to be, say, a Jedi, David McDonald stuck to his guns and joined acting school. Only, because they already had a guy named David McDonald, he changed his name to something that a lot of nerds will find instantly familiar: David Tennant. Tennant worked hard, forging himself a successful career in Shakespearean stage productions, until one day, while recording a radio play, he learned of a project that was being recorded next door: a Doctor Who animation being produced in an attempt to revive the series after a 14-year hiatus. This was Tennant’s big break. He crashed the production and managed somehow to convince the director to give him a small role. Now that his foot was in the door, he was able to audition for the role he was born to play once the series geared up again. And guess what? He lost to Christopher Eccleston. Oh, but they gave Tennant the role a year later, when Eccleston quit. And Tennant went on to be voted the best version of the Doctor ever by fans, which makes sense, because he knew the character better than anyone in the history of the universe. As if that wasn’t a big enough screw you to the realists who mocked his obsession, he also married the daughter of Peter Davison, the fifth Doctor. Because apparently his good fortune just wasn’t implausible enough already.

doctorwho:

Obsession can be good

zanderpants:

From Cracked.com’s 5 Celebrities Who Got Famous for by Being Obsessed Fan Boys


#2. The Geek Who Would Be Doctor Who

Started Out As:

A young, obsessed Doctor Who fan whose schoolteachers had to tell him to shut up about it.

But Became:

The Doctor.

Recently, Doctor Who won a victory over Star Trek by becoming the longest-running science fiction series ever. Twice as many actors have played the Doctor over its entire run as have played James Bond. All the way back in the ’70s, the role belonged to Tom Baker (the fourth Doctor), and his biggest fan in the universe was a geeky kid named David McDonald.

And McDonald was a megafan to an extent that few men could begin to realize. As a child in school, it was all he ever wrote about, to the point where his teacher had to tell him to stop before she had to fail him. His most treasured possession was the stripy Doctor Who scarf his grandmother knitted him.

But he was a talented kid, even if he channeled all that talent into incessantly ranting about Doctor Who (a teacher still has one of his essays about the Doctor, titled “Intergalactic Overload,” in which McDonald talked about becoming obsessed with the thought of being the Time Lord himself). And where most kids eventually drop their fantasy of growing up to be, say, a Jedi, David McDonald stuck to his guns and joined acting school. Only, because they already had a guy named David McDonald, he changed his name to something that a lot of nerds will find instantly familiar: David Tennant.
Tennant worked hard, forging himself a successful career in Shakespearean stage productions, until one day, while recording a radio play, he learned of a project that was being recorded next door: a Doctor Who animation being produced in an attempt to revive the series after a 14-year hiatus. This was Tennant’s big break. He crashed the production and managed somehow to convince the director to give him a small role. Now that his foot was in the door, he was able to audition for the role he was born to play once the series geared up again. And guess what? He lost to Christopher Eccleston.
Oh, but they gave Tennant the role a year later, when Eccleston quit. And Tennant went on to be voted the best version of the Doctor ever by fans, which makes sense, because he knew the character better than anyone in the history of the universe. As if that wasn’t a big enough screw you to the realists who mocked his obsession, he also married the daughter of Peter Davison, the fifth Doctor. Because apparently his good fortune just wasn’t implausible enough already.

Apr 05

Move over, Smith - your younger, better-looking replacement is here.

Move over, Smith - your younger, better-looking replacement is here.

Feb 18

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Feb 06

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Jan 30

Citizen.

So, on Friday I became an American.

For me, it’s just been a vindication of the past four years - I’ve been here, I’ve contributed to the economy and I’ve been a good boy, so give me that blue passport. Just the next step along the path, really. Plus, I got to keep my British and Irish citizenships. I guess I was viewing it as not too much of a big deal, in some ways.

But, at the citizenship ceremony in Philadelphia, it was an eye-opener to see what other people thought. It’s easy to forget where and what some other people have come from.

I was in there with maybe 80 other people from all over the world. Before we all had to do the oath, they read out the list of countries where everyone was from, and some of these places are proper toilets - places like Iraq, Somalia, Afghanistan and so on. Places where you could get shot for criticising their government or even wearing the wrong clothes. Plus, these are countries where you’re not allowed to hold dual citizenship, so these people were giving up their citizenships. For people like that, becoming a US citizen is a far, far bigger deal, and is truly life-changing. 

They probably had to go through a whole lot more crap than I did - for me it was easy. I married an American, applied for a green card, got it, then waited. Easy. Some of these people probably went through legal hell just to enter the US. Not to mention the extra hoops people from these countries have to jump through, having to learn English, and, in a very real sense, having to sever ties with their home country.

There were people standing close to me crying as they said their oath, hand on heart. And there I was mumbling it with my hands by my sides. 

So, I guess, for me, not much really changes. I can vote in November (I am also now a registered Democrat) and apply for a US passport. But, for some, everything changes, and, for these people, I wish them the very best of luck.

Jan 14

simongallupsface: Sit down Eddie, I’ve got some sad and tragic news! …You don’t look very upset about it! Rik is awesome when he corpses. :D

simongallupsface:

Sit down Eddie, I’ve got some sad and tragic news!

…You don’t look very upset about it!

Rik is awesome when he corpses. :D

(Source: anti-pope, via doctor-spanks)

Jan 13

fyeahtheyoungones: pt. 2

fyeahtheyoungones:

pt. 2

(via doctor-spanks)

Jan 07

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Nov 17

Tumblr on Flipboard on my iPad. I approve.

Nov 11

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